Songs created by AI banned from Australia's music charts

What the report says

Australia’s music charts will now exclude songs that are largely or entirely created by artificial intelligence, under a new rule from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The change takes effect this week and requires releases to be “substantially human made” to qualify for the charts. ARIA says the update is intended to protect and promote human artistry while still allowing some AI tools to be used in the creative process.

The policy follows debate over an AI-assisted cover of Madonna’s Like a Prayer by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz, which reached the top of the ARIA dance singles chart and climbed to number two on the country’s overall chart. After criticism, Fawaz added generative AI credits to the track. ARIA said it does not want to celebrate music generated wholesale by systems built on artists’ recordings, and it also wants to guard against stream or chart manipulation.

Under the new code, artists must declare any AI use when submitting songs for chart consideration. Human songwriters and performers still need to provide the lead vocal and main instruments, while AI may be used for tasks such as mastering, drum machines and auto-tune. The industry body said it could later revise chart positions if a release is found to have been largely AI-generated. BBC News also noted that similar concerns have prompted chart rules elsewhere, including Sweden and IFPI-linked guidance in other regions.